Scouting: Portland, Oregon

November 21, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Scouting

The second half of our trip to the Pacific Northwest took us to Portland, Eugene and along the Oregon Coast for some rose gardening, football watching, wine tasting, and sea lion spotting (in that order).

I spent the first 21 years of my life in Upstate New York and there were glimmers of the rolling hills and misty woods that reminded me of home, but then I’d realize that the trees were fuzzy with moss and the rocks along the water were jagged and be recalled to how different the landscape is in the Northwest. The forests and mountains are spectacular and I seriously could not get enough of Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach and the wild, windy coastline.

International Test Garden, Portland | Image: Laura Messersmith — **International Test Garden, Portland** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Willamette Valley Wine Country, Oregon | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Willamette Valley Wine Country, Oregon** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Most of our city time was in Portland and we were there for such a short time that this is in no way a comprehensive list, just the places I visited and would love to go back to the next time we’re in town:

Blue Star Donuts I usually avoid donuts, not because I don’t like them - I like them too much, but willpower wasn’t up to the temptation of Blue Star and I totally caved. Luckily there were six of us, so it wasn’t a big stretch to get a dozen in assorted flavors. My personal favorites: Lemon Poppy Seed (teeth aching lemon is a good thing in my book), Old Fashioned Buttermilk, and surprise flavor Blueberry, Bourbon & Basil.

Alder & Co I knew Alder and I were on the same page as soon as I spotted the table of cookbooks near the window – Mimi Thorisson, Buvette, Yotam Ottolenghi – and then there were the beautiful wool blankets, linen napkins, polished wood measuring spoons… then there are the flowers by Hilary Horvath. If it were possible to live in a store I’d move in.

Oregon Coast | Image: Laura Messersmith — Oregon Coast | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Powell’s Books is a Portland institution and if the selection of cookbooks (two whole aisles!) is any indication of the variety available…. I could easily lose a whole afternoon browsing in that place. A book lover’s dream.

Ox Since we only had one night in Portland we wanted to be sure we chose our restaurant carefully. Ox came highly recommended (thanks, Alex & George!) and it seemed like an ideal place for our costumed Halloween dinner – we were pretty sure they’d be cool with having the cast of Clue as guests. We were right on both counts. Again, having six people helped us cover a lot of ground on the menu and stand outs for me were the ribeye, caramelized cauliflower, and the “everything” bagel seasoned brussel sprouts.

Heart Roasters & Stumptown Coffee Roasters kept us caffeinated over our two days in Portland which is no small feat given our hectic schedule and jet lag. Both of these spots are a quick walk from downtown and are solid choices when you want a little jolt or a place to rest up for the next adventure.

Scouting: Seattle

November 14, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Scouting

Seattle Skyline | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Seattle Skyline** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Mike and I love to travel together and last Tuesday we flew to Seattle to spend a whole week (!) exploring Seattle, Portland and the Oregon coast. I’ve been to thirty-six out of fifty U.S. states so far - the Great Plains/Rocky Mountains are proving elusive - but until this trip I had never been to the Pacific Northwest. I probably should be embarrassed to admit that most of what I knew came from Sleepless in Seattle, The Goonies, and vague memories of the Real World from waaay, waaay back in 1998. So, this was my chance to see some of these places for myself.

Vacations are great for a few reasons - change of pace, change of scenery, making new memories - but they also give me an excellent excuse to snoop out new places and shutterbug, which I did a lot of since photos will help us remember our favorite moments.

Pike Place Market, Seattle | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Pike Place Market, Seattle** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

A few days isn’t nearly long enough to become really familiar with a new city, let alone expert, but these were my favorite spots from our trip; places I’d definitely want to revisit or would recommend to my friends. So, here goes with Part I: Seattle.

Pike Place Public Market – This one is obvious (I hope) but I really can’t emphasize how much I liked the market and one of the benefits of being on East Coast time is that we were there by 8am and got to see it come alive. At one fruit stand a vendor offered tastings of the half dozen locally grown pear varieties, and once I made my choice (Taylor Gold and Starkrimson) he helped me select specific pieces that would be ripe when we wanted to eat them. Now that’s the ideal way to buy fruit.

The Walrus & the Carpenter – One of my birthday presents was Renee Erickson’s cookbook (A Boat, A Whale, A Walrus) so I was really excited to go to the source and visit one of her restaurants. With that kind of build up I was bound to be disappointed, right? WRONG. The food, the drinks, and of course the Oysters (capital O since they’re the star of this show) are wonderful. Simple, elegant, delicious and served in a gorgeous setting by a talented staff. We pretty much didn’t want to leave ever.

Seattle Harbor | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Seattle Harbor** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Serious Pie & Biscuit – Doesn’t a biscuit-based breakfast sandwich sound like a great place to start the day? Honestly, just writing that makes me wish I had one of the fried green tomato sandwiches right now. The food is excellent and it’s practically on the way to the Space Needle, so there’s no excuse not to go!

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese – This shop is just across the street from the main market building and is an awesome spot to pick up a snack (cheese curds & crackers anyone?) or grab an excellent grilled cheese sandwich. Beecher’s also offers a lot in the way of entertainment/education since you can watch the cheese making process while you have lunch. Works for me.

Storyville Coffee – After a busy day of Space Needle-ing, and market walking (gum wall included, oh dear) we needed a pick-me up and no Seattle list would be complete without a coffee shop. Storyville is tucked away on an upper floor, but the stairs are worth it. The coffee is excellent and the baristas are really welcoming – no worries if you’re a caffeine novice.

Gone Scouting: Fall Edition

October 29, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Scouting

Design: Laura Messersmith | Image Source: Vynsane — Design: *Laura Messersmith* | Image Source: *Vynsane*

Mike and I are traveling this week and I'm so excited for my first visit to the Pacific Northwest! We'll be working our way south from Seattle to Eugene via Portland and Astoria - the rain boots and jackets are packed, cameras are charged and we have tickets to the Ducks/Stanford football game in our hot little hands. I plan to revel in my inner, flannel-lined Goonie-ness as we scout this gorgeous part of the country. I can't wait to share some of our favorite discoveries with you when we get back! Until, then happy Halloween and remember, Goonies never say die!